Most of us want more or less the same things out of a smartphone: It has to be fast; the screen has to be nice and crisp; the camera should be decent, and its software shouldn’t be terrible. That’s not too much to ask, is it? Then again, how can phone makers give us this while still offering exceptional devices? All too often, standout features disappoint — be it HTC’s UltraPixel camera or Samsung’s fingerprint reader. With the G3, LG tackles this by offering simplicity. It promises minimum gimmicks, and maximum utility and style. Or, as LG would have us...

Few smartphones are as aggressively marketed as Samsung’s Galaxy S5. The S5 can no longer be considered brand-new — but it is Samsung’s flagship, at least for the next few months. With a gorgeous screen, a capable camera, a waterproof build, and a user-replaceable battery, the Galaxy S5 has a lot to offer… at least on paper. Let’s find out how good it really is. What Makes This Review Different There are about a million Galaxy S5 reviews out there. Why should you read this one? Two keys points make our review different: We bought our own device. Unlike many...

Here’s an attractive idea: An 18-megapixel camera from Canon with interchangeable lenses, with a body that still fits into a jacket pocket. Add its reasonable $339 price point into the mix, and the Canon EOS M becomes a very interesting option for anyone looking for great image quality and manual control on a budget. The EOS M is in an interesting position: It’s not a new camera, but doesn’t have a replacement out just yet. It was first available in November 2012 for $800 (with a 22mm kit lens), and in late 2013, Canon announced the EOS M2 that replaced...

Your keyboard sucks. There, I said it. Don’t take it personally — you’re not the one who invented the QWERTY layout. But the fact remains that QWERTY is so terrible, it’s not even funny. The good news is that it’s low hanging fruit – QWERTY is so bad, it’s actually easy to fix. Back in 2012, I shared the story of how I started using Colemak, a better keyboard layout. In another post, I covered Portable Keyboard Layout, a great way to try out alternative keyboards without having to make changes to your computer. Today I’d like to tell you...

Get past your phone’s lock screen, and the first thing that catches the eye is your wallpaper. Some of us are minimalists, opting for a wallpaper that’s just a single, uniform expanse of color — like what Android app Colors can give you. But if you’re looking for something with a bit more visual flair, you should check out these three excellent wallpaper apps. For Polygon Aficionados: Facets ($0.99) Facets is the polar opposite of something like the previously-reviewed Wallbase For Android: Instead of an endless feed of wallpapers from all over the place, Facets highlights one artist’s original work...

Graphics aren’t everything. Even if you are not a fan of the retro-pixelated game art style, these two strategy games are virtually guaranteed to captivate you for hours of fun. Both games feel a bit like board games, but work well on a smartphone — you don’t need a tablet to enjoy these. Hoplite (Free, with optional in-app purchase) Hoplite features randomly generated levels and permanent death – two attributes that often define the roguelike genre. The game is played on a small board with hexagonal tiles. You are a knight (well, a Greek citizen-soldier, to be exact) and you...

Grab any random food item that comes in a wrapper (i.e, not a fruit or a vegetable), and you’ll find an ingredient list. Some ingredients are easy to understand (flour), others — not so much. That’s where these four free Android apps comes in: If you’ve ever wondered what’s E104 and whether or not it works with your dietary restrictions, you need one of these. Eat Informed – Food Additives Eat Informed gives you a long list of E-numbers to scroll through, with a quick-search feature amusingly called Fast Computer. The ingredients are color coded, and the little flags next...

Transforming the look of your Android device doesn’t have to cost you anything. We previously took a thorough look at 5 stunning icon packs, but Google Play is brimming with icons. Below you will find six packs, all of which are very highly rated on Google Play, with hundreds or thousands of ratings. While you shouldn’t always trust ratings, these visually striking packs speak for themselves — plus, because they are free, you have nothing to lose by installing them. Belle UI First, let’s talk breadth: Belle, the highest-rated pack in this collection, includes over 1,200 custom icons. In other...

Phone lenses are interesting, and so are dolly sliders. So we went ahead and spent $100 on this Photojojo Lens Kit featuring five different smartphone lenses, and an additional $95 on the Mobislyder portable camera dolly. At the end of this review, we’ll be giving both the lens kit and Mobislyder dolly away to one lucky reader. There Are Far Cheaper Options The first thing you should know about the smartphone lens kit is that there are much, much cheaper ways to get some glass for your smartphone. These are to be found mainly on sites like DX and Aliexpress....

]]>http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/photojojo-lens-kit-and-mobislyder-camera-dolly-review-and-giveaway/feed/106A Game You Must Play: Monument Valley Is a Drop-Dead Gorgeous Puzzlerhttp://www.makeuseof.com/tag/game-must-play-monument-valley-drop-dead-gorgeous-puzzler/
http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/game-must-play-monument-valley-drop-dead-gorgeous-puzzler/#commentsTue, 27 May 2014 19:00:00 +0000http://www.makeuseof.com/?p=344595

Once in a while, there comes a mobile game that knocks your socks off — and not in a Flappy Bird sort of way. The glorious Smash Hit was one such breathtakingly beautiful game — and now, Monument Valley is here to show us why game design is most definitely art. It Is Just So Beautiful In Monument Valley, you are a silent princess navigating through a temple. The view is isometric — things look like they are 3D, but you can’t move the camera around. Things looking like they are 3D is the heart of the game: Each level...

]]>http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/game-must-play-monument-valley-drop-dead-gorgeous-puzzler/feed/5How To Find What Program Is Using Your Webcamhttp://www.makeuseof.com/tag/find-program-using-webcam/
http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/find-program-using-webcam/#commentsFri, 23 May 2014 16:00:00 +0000http://www.makeuseof.com/?p=343072

You’re sitting in front of your computer, minding your own business, when you suddenly notice the webcam light is on. Something is looking at you — maybe even recording or broadcasting online. But what? You don’t have Skype running, and you close the browser just to make sure. The light won’t go off! What’s using that webcam? Here’s how to tell. First Things First: Use A Sticker Let’s start with a low-tech solution. If your camera is on and you have no idea why, it is possible someone’s watching you right now. So first, just cover the camera with a reusable...

]]>http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/find-program-using-webcam/feed/14Google Camera: The Official Vision for An Android Camera Apphttp://www.makeuseof.com/tag/google-camera-official-vision-android-camera-app/
http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/google-camera-official-vision-android-camera-app/#commentsThu, 22 May 2014 17:00:00 +0000http://www.makeuseof.com/?p=343125

Today I’d like to tell you about a camera app that doesn’t do very much — by design. The official (and free) Google Camera for Android presents an uncluttered vision for what a camera on Android should look and feel like, and it’s simple and quite fun to use. Minimum Fuss The Google Camera interface doesn’t have very much going on — the focus is clearly on your subject, rather than on any buttons on the screen. Top right, you can see the menu used for toggling the composition grid, HDR mode, flash, and front/back camera. Top-left, you can see...